PEAK ARMS By Bill Geiger It takes iron, not rope, to reach the top of Muscle Mountain. This guidebook maps out the six-week route to your personal pinnacle for bi’s and tri’s Promises, promises. That’s probably what you’re muttering under your breath when the gym’s resident hottie reassures you that she will call — for the fifth straight week — and the phone has yet to ring. But, alas, we’re referring instead to something that really would impress her: a pair of magnum-force guns. You’ve probably seen on newsstands the endless cover blurbs and headlines that scream how simple it is to add inches to your arms. In fact, I’ve read dozens of arm-training articles over the years in men’s health magazines, and they’re typically long on promises and short on delivery. That is, they recommend you do a single exercise that’ll be good for 20-inch guns. Yeah, and the cheque’s in the post. So before you tear out these pages and head off to the gym, rest assured this programme is different in a couple of important ways. First, it focuses on arms alone: whereas you usually work each bodypart once over the course of your cycle (generally 4–7 days), in this routine you train biceps and triceps twice each. Second, the exercises chosen — as well as the total volume and intensity techniques employed — are devised to not only build stronger, more muscular arms but concentrate on the biceps peak as well. So if splitting the seams on your T-shirts sounds like a good plan, then it’s time to get serious about your arm training. TWICE THE ARMS Most bodybuilders follow a training split in which they work each bodypart once in every cycle to build the most symmetrical physique. But by tinkering with intermediate- and advanced-level splits that are at least five days long, you can actually train a smaller muscle group that recovers more quickly — like biceps and triceps — twice. “Arrangement of the split is critical so that you’re not over using a particular muscle group, which could cause overtraining on the pushing or pulling muscles if you do them on consecutive days,” says David Sandler, professor of exercise science at Florida Atlantic University. “If you follow this type of split, you definitely want to ensure there’s enough recovery time built into it. “Optimally, you can stay on this type of programme for 4–6 weeks. Plenty of research suggests that introducing change into a routine creates opportunity for improvement, but that doesn’t continue indefinitely. You need a rest period during which you change the stimulus for at least a couple of weeks for the body to recover.” In addition to making minor adjustments to your various workouts, it’s also a good idea to follow this programme during your overall mass-building phase. Since it’s more difficult to add arm size while you’re dieting down, make sure you get enough calories and protein to not only sustain you during your training sessions but to guarantee muscle growth as well. This means not missing meals, following a smart supplementation plan to ensure you get the required muscle-building nutrients and paying attention to your postworkout meal(s). A good rule of thumb: for every 10 pounds of quality mass you gain, you can expect to add another inch to your arms. So it makes sense to incorporate this six-week programme into your off-season workouts designed to add overall mass. ARM WORKOUTS THAT WORK While you perform a pair of biceps and triceps workouts during your training split, they won’t be the same. In fact, when you train your biceps after back and triceps after shoulders (see “The Arms Split” section), they’re typically already somewhat exhausted from assisting in the training of the larger muscle group, meaning your efforts to get a good pump can be elusive. Still, because the arm flexors and extensors are already warmed up, this is a smart way to finish off that muscle group. The second time you train these muscle groups each week, you don’t precede your session with a routine for a larger muscle group, meaning your arms aren’t prefatigued. Hence, you can really give your guns your all on these days, and you’ll find that your arm strength and stamina are much improved on the days you train arms after shoulders or back. Here are a few other highlights of your six-week Peak Arms training: >> Higher Volume As part of the focus on arms, the amount of work you dedicate to arm training will increase over the next six weeks. “I feel high-volume training brings out denser-looking, separated muscle,” says Lou Joseph, 27, an amateur bodybuilder from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, who recently won the title of Mr. Ontario. “Right now, my sets range from 9–15 for arms. The number of sets you do is relative to you and your training experience. When you first up your volume, you might feel you’re not recovering fast enough, but give a programme a month and your body should adapt.” Günter Schlierkamp, 35, three-time top-five finisher at the Mr. Olympia, agrees that biceps respond well to high-volume training. “I like to do 9–12 sets with a total of three exercises to build mass.” >> Heavy First Exercise You can go really heavy with the first exercise in your arm routine; therefore, the standing barbell curl is probably a better choice than the concentration curl. After your warm-up sets, lift using high resistance with low reps. “Do relatively heavier sets in the lower rep ranges at the beginning of your workout when you’re fresh,” Sandler advises. “Training in this range enhances the hypertrophy effect before going to a higher rep range later in your workout.” Joseph agrees: “Lower-rep sets should be executed at the beginning of the workout when energy is at its highest.” Sandler warns against going so heavy that you need to perform cheat reps, in which you throw momentum into the move to get it going. Though cheating may allow you to complete a few additional reps, if you go too heavy you remove stress from your target muscle. “That’s one reason I’m a big believer in using pure isolation movements for the arms, such as a preacher curl for biceps or skull-crusher for triceps,” says Sandler. “Other good choices for biceps movements include the one-arm cable curl and the concentration curl, in which your triceps is pressed against your inner thigh. Getting the form right is key.” >> Focus on Isolation After going heavy with your first exercise to focus on strength, the Peak Arms routines include exercises that better isolate your muscles and minimise cheating. “For overall biceps development, you want to hit both the outer and inner biceps,” says Joseph. “To make sure you hit the outer biceps, I recommend you use a fairly close grip with your standing EZ-bar curls and a neutral grip with your dumbbell curls. I find hammer curls to be extremely effective at hitting the outer biceps as well,” he continues. “And be sure you’re constantly flexing your biceps while twisting your wrists out. This technique helps you achieve a better mind-muscle connection, which helps you fire off the greatest number of muscle fibres possible.” Günter favours the alternating dumbbell curl and the concentration curl for recruiting the biceps peak. “Start with your arms in the hammer-curl position on the alternating dumbbell curl, then curl the weight and turn your wrist up until your thumb turns all the way to the outside, which puts added emphasis on the inner biceps head. Then squeeze the muscle all the way to the top.” >> Rep Ranges As for rep ranges, Sandler notes that research suggests performing 10–12 reps with a rest period of 60–90 seconds between sets is enough to release testosterone and growth hormone. Joseph favours expanding that range a bit, going anywhere from 6–15 reps per set. “It’s good to mix it up to shock the muscle a bit,” he remarks. Günter says he trains in the 6–12-rep range, which is ideal for building strength and size as well as promoting hormone release. >> Flex at the Top As you reach the top of every rep, hold the position briefly while you squeeze your muscle; don’t just drop the weight and go right into the next rep. “Make a habit of constantly flexing your biceps as you turn your wrists out,” says Joseph. “You’ll actually see your biceps taking shape over time.” Günter comments: “I’m a fan of actually holding the peak contraction for a long count. And I love to do that every other workout — it gives me the best burn ever.” >> Other Advanced Techniques Finally, a great arm routine consists of not only the right combination of exercises, sets and reps but also advanced training techniques that really tear down the muscle tissue — and bring on the pain. “The use of advanced techniques hasn’t really been tested in the limited scientific research that’s available, but doing partial reps at the end of a working set is one way to add more work to a muscle than it’s used to — if you can handle it,” says Sandler. “I’d personally measure it by the pump; if you’re feeling the soreness and tightness in your arm, you’re going in the right direction.” Over the course of the next six weeks, choose two advanced training techniques you can use at the end of each set of two exercises for both biceps and triceps. For example, select two of the three biceps exercises listed for a particular workout and do an advanced technique — forced reps, drop sets, partial reps, etc. — that allows you to take the set past the point of muscle failure. Again, your goal is to choose a weight that brings on muscle failure by the final rep, then go past the point of failure by utilising one of the many advanced techniques listed under the exercise descriptions. That’s when you’ll really start to feel the muscle pump — and the burning pain associated with a great workout. Do the same with your triceps routines. Hey, you wanted huge arms, right? PEAK MATTERS We mentioned earlier that this programme was designed to build bigger arms, most notably the biceps peak. Unfortunately, we left out one caveat: the shape of your arms is mostly predetermined by your genetics. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t choose particular exercises and techniques that make the most of what you’ve got,” Sandler points out. To enhance your biceps peak, include plenty of EZ-bar curls, supinating curls and hammer curls in your workouts. Günter admits that you never know your genetic potential for building a peak until you try all the muscle-building tools at your disposal. “While the shape of your biceps is determined primarily by genetics, I believe you can make them significantly larger through training,” he says. “To me, building a peak falls under increasing the mass of your biceps. Start by building bigger biceps, then you can focus selective exercises on achieving a better peak.” Joseph also believes that the proper mind-set, while not a matter of developing a bigger peak, makes all the difference in developing bigger arms. “The proper mental outlook might not seem important, but it truly is,” he says. “Set the same time every day for training. During the drive to the gym, listen to music that motivates you to push harder. Practise positive self-talk: instead of saying, ‘My biceps are weak and will never grow,’ tell yourself, ‘I accept the way my biceps are shaped, and I will improve upon them.’ Visualise your biceps training before you go to the gym. Studies have shown that athletes who visualise their performance actually perform better. Whatever you believe will be your reality.” Well, for most things, anyway. The hottie at your gym may never call, but heck, you’ve got more important things to do. Like buying some new T-shirts. SEATED ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL STARTING POSITION | Sit erect on a flat or low-back bench holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in (neutral grip). Lock your elbows by your sides slightly in front of your torso. EXECUTION | Without shifting your body, curl one arm at a time by flexing your biceps. As you curl, supinate your wrist, squeezing your muscle hard at the top. Lower under control and repeat with the opposite arm. GO FOR THE PUMP | Start by curling both arms at the same time; when that becomes too difficult, alternate reps one side at a time, effectively allowing one side a short rest while the other works. ADVANCED VARIATION | Lean back on an incline bench set to about 60 degrees — this provides a slightly longer range of motion (as long as you don’t bring your elbows forwards as you curl the weights). HIGH-PULLEY ONE-ARM CABLE CURL STARTING POSITION | Stand erect about 3–4 feet away from a high-cable pulley. Grasp a D-handle with an underhand grip, positioning your upper arm parallel to the floor and your shoulder and elbow in line with the pulley. Keep your wrist neutral; don’t flex it forwards as you hold the handle. Lean slightly away from the pulley for balance. EXECUTION | Without allowing your elbow to move forwards, flex your arm to bring the handle towards your head as you would in a biceps pose, squeezing your muscle hard at the top. Allow the weight to pull your arm back to the start under control. GO FOR THE PUMP | Perform pulse reps: after fully contracting your biceps on each rep, release for just 1–2 inches and flex hard again, squeezing the muscle. Do one partial rep after each full-range rep. ADVANCED VARIATION | To better isolate your biceps, position the back of your nonworking hand against your triceps to eliminate cheating. To perform forced repetitions, use that hand to help the working arm. SKULL-CRUSHER STARTING POSITION | Lie face-up on a flat bench holding an EZ-bar directly above you with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your feet flat on the floor. EXECUTION | Keeping your upper arms locked perpendicular to the floor and your elbows in tight, bend your elbows to allow the bar to approach your forehead, then press upwards to full arm extension. GO FOR THE PUMP | After you complete your sets for this movement, lower your elbows to your sides and pound out as many reps of the close-grip bench press as you can. ADVANCED VARIATION | Try this exercise on a decline bench. SEATED CABLE OVERHEAD EZ-BAR EXTENSION STARTING POSITION | Position a low-back bench facing away from a low-pulley cable with an EZ-bar attachment. Sit erect on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grasp the bar with a palms-up grip, upper arms perpendicular to the floor, elbows bent about 90 degrees. EXECUTION | Fully extend your arms by contracting your triceps. At the top, squeeze your triceps without letting your elbows flare out. GO FOR THE PUMP | After you perform as many reps as you can, drop the weight about 30% and quickly start again, going to failure a second time on the same set. ADVANCED VARIATION | Do the seated cable overhead extension with a rope handle. Begin with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip, then supinate your palms at the top by turning your wrists upwards. Once this becomes too difficult, continue the set without the supination. EZ-BAR PREACHER CURL STARTING POSITION | Set up a preacher bench so it rests comfortably under your armpits. Take a shoulder-width, underhand grip on the bar and position your arms parallel to each other on the bench. EXECUTION | Flex your elbows to bring the bar as high as possible without allowing your elbows to flare out. Don’t rest at the top; squeeze your biceps hard before slowly lowering to just short of full arm extension. GO FOR THE PUMP | Have your spotter help you perform a couple of forced reps by assisting just enough to keep the bar moving. ADVANCED VARIATION | Do this exercise with dumbbells and turn your wrists slightly outwards at the top of the movement. CONCENTRATION CURL STARTING POSITION | Sit at the end of a flat bench and grasp a dumbbell with an underhand grip, locking your working arm against your same-side inner thigh. EXECUTION | Moving only at your elbow, curl the weight as high as you can, squeezing your biceps at the top before slowly lowering. GO FOR THE PUMP | While you typically hold the peak contraction briefly, instead hold it for a full two seconds. Don’t just stop at the top for two counts; squeeze your biceps as hard as you can on each rep. Use your free hand to give you an assist if you have trouble lifting the weight. ADVANCED VARIATION | Supinate your wrist at the top as you squeeze and hold the muscle. M&F

Training Advice notes * Choose your weights based on the target rep. Go slightly heavier on sets with a lower rep number; go slightly lighter on sets with a higher rep number. Try to reach muscle failure by the target rep listed. † Perform one fewer exercise than you typically would to reduce total volume. This also applies to your chest workout (not listed). ‡ Select two exercises for bi’s and/or two for tri’s with which to use an advanced training technique. See “Go for the Pump” under each exercise description for samples. ^ This first set is a lightweight warm-up set; do not go to failure. ** Reverse the order of which bodypart you train first every other workout.